Hair advice from supposed ‘professionals’ are a dime a dozen these days. The ones that we hear most often include how washing your hair with cold water is better for your tresses (true!), how blow dryers are your hair’s greatest nemesis (debatable!) and the biggest one of them all: how washing your hair daily is, in fact, bad for your hair.
While it’s true that washing your hair on the daily does strip your locks of its natural oils and sebum— both of which are essential to happy, healthy locks— it’s pretty hard to follow through considering Singapore’s hot and humid climate. Plus, it doesn’t help that oily scalps are pretty common amongst us Singaporeans as well.
With this in mind, we decided to consult an actual hair professional – a hair and scalp specialist, in fact – to get a concrete answer once and for all. On the top of our list of professionals to consult? TK TrichoKare. With over a decade of professional experience under their belt, they seem more than capable of addressing our concerns.
Who is TK TrichoKare?
Established in 2004, TK TrichoKare is actually the first trichological centre that provides customised European herbal hair remedies validated by certified trichologists. What this means is that they don’t believe in the concept that one treatment fits all. Adjustments are made to suit your scalp and hair needs, with premium grade European herbs used in formulating the products used in said treatments.
You can also rest easy knowing that you’re in the hands of true professionals, considering their long list of accolades, as well as the fact that they’ve been awarded the Certified On-The-Job Training Centre Certificate by ITE, which affirms a company’s ability in skills training and development for their staff.
Upon contacting them, we were told that this is a common query, especially amongst people with oily scalps. Too frequent or too infrequent washing can actually lead to myriad of issues, such as flaky scalps, dandruff, and even hair loss! Striking that perfect balance actually largely depends on the current condition of your scalp and hair, with focused hair and scalp treatments greatly aiding along the process.
With our curiousities sufficiently piqued, we decided to send one of our writers down to try out the TK TrichoKare Intensive Hair Regeneration Treatment, which is actually a customised hair and scalp treatment based on an individual’s needs— allowing the restoration of that perfect, just-right balance to your hair and scalp.
Read on to find out more about our writer’s experience at TK TrichoKare!
What was the treatment process like?
My hair and scalp prior to the treatment
As someone who suffers from an oily and itchy scalp, I was pretty curious as to find out about the ideal frequency and method for washing one’s hair. As of late, I wash my hair three times a week in an attempt to preserve the colour of my bleached hair.
1. Consultation
My consultant started off with a detailed consultation, taking into account my dietary habits, sleep pattern and hormonal changes. This was done so she was able to customise my treatment to suit my needs best! Known as Tri-Oxy, my treatment contained naturally derived ingredients such as Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA), Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) as well as sodium hyaluronate. I’m told that these ingredients help in exfoliation, hydration and retention of moisture and nutrients.
Example of hair surrounded by a wax layer
After my therapist viewed my assessment, she came to the conclusion that my scalp would look like this: clogged and surrounded by a wax layer that is actually formed by dead skin, sweat, and impurities. According to her, while my hair (and hair colour) benefited from the infrequent washings, my scalp did not. It is a sad reality for many Singaporeans out there: not washing your oily scalp daily can and will lead to itchiness, flakiness, dandruff, and consequentially, hair loss.
And nope, this wax layer cannot be removed by your normal shampooing efforts. Those with less oily scalps can probably get away with not washing their hair (and scalps!) for a day or two, but it is recommended to wash daily to ensure optimum scalp health.
2. Tricho Scan And Scalp Analysis
The next step brought about the moment of truth: the Tricho Scan And Scalp Analysis, which magnifies and scans up to 200 times than a normal image to evaluate my current hair and scalp condition.
The results were just as my therapist predicted. She explained that the reason behind the hair loss could be due to a variety of factors, such as stress, constant itching, too much sun exposure, as well as too much hair dye.
3. TriOxy- Oxypeel
Kicking off the three part TriOxy treatment process (OxyPeel, OxyJet and OxyNutrient)? The OxyPeel. During this process, OxyPeel will exfoliate the scalp, getting rid of dead skins from clogged pores and follicles.
Before we can work on balancing out the oils of my hair and scalp, a thorough cleansing must first be conducted to rid my hair of that pesky wax layer.
Remember we mentioned that this wax layer cannot be removed with regular shampooing? This is why my therapist kicked off the session with a special cleansing procedure: applying a Oxy Peeling Solution to my scalp, which contains the necessary AHAs and BHAs to soften the dead skin and impurities clogged on my scalp. This, naturally, allows for an easy removal and pain-free cleansing.
The product is massaged into my hair and scalp, leaving behind a refreshing and tingly sensation. It is then left on for five minutes to soak, before a deep cleansing hair mask is applied.
I’m told that the mask is formulated by TK TrichoKare themselves, with it being gentle on the scalp all while thoroughly getting rid of clogged dirt, flakes, and any other impurities found.
The mask was applied and left on for 15 minutes. It feels very comfortable and didn’t irritate my scalp or cause it to itch further, which is a worry that I tend to have with most hair and scalp treatments.
4. Revitalising Hair Bath
After a revitalising hair bath, a relaxing scalp massage was given to help put me at ease. It also helps boost circulation, which can lead to stimulated hair growth.
5. TriOxy – Oxy Nutrient & Oxy Jet
The Oxy Nutrient solution was then administered to my hair & scalp in preparation for the OxyJet treatment!
A device that helps inject oxygen into your scalp and hair, it is used in conjunction with the serum to allow nutrients to penetrate deeper into your scalp. Not only does it keep hair follicles smooth, it also helps stimulate collagen (and thus, hair) growth.
The device left a nice, cooling sensation on my scalp. The suction pressure wasn’t too strong either, to the point where it was easy to forget that there was even a procedure happening. This went on for about 15 minutes before we moved onto the final step of the treatment.
6. Photodynamic Therapy
The last step is known as Photodynamic therapy, which uses laser light technology to support hair regeneration and help accelerate healing.
What were the results?
I was brought in for a final scan of my scalp, which revealed…
… that my scalp has been cleansed from excess sebum and impurities, which clearly proves how effective the treatment is!
My main takeaway from this? Hair care and scalp care are vastly different arenas, and maintaining that perfect balance can be tricky. But it’s definitely not impossible – you just need to consult a professional for the right solution for you!
This article is brought to you by TK TrichoKare.
